Favela-Bairro

Being a city-scale initiative, there is not an official division of land classes as the regeneration of the different favelas has been conducted individually. However, the projects of each favelas comprised mixed-used development interventions, combining residential, commercial, green areas, open spaces and recreational areas.

The most important economic benefit brought by the programme is the hiring of workers from beneficiary communities. Residents were contracted to work directly on the regeneration initiative, creating employment for local communities. The programme also brought important benefits for homeowners of the targeted communities. The urban regeneration initiative increased the real estate value of households by around 80 and 120 percent. Lastly, the infrastructures improvements brought by the Favela-Bairro programme attracted local companies, kiosks and small shops in the renovated favelas, thus indirectly benefitting local employment and businesses.

The programme targeted crucial infrastructural works to promote resource efficiency, resource management and climate adaptation of local communities. The Favela-Bairro programme implemented 637,000 meters of sewerage networks to improve waste management and provided garbage removal services to improve sanitation in the favelas. In addition, the programmes constructed 596,000 meters of water networks and systems to provide potable water and improve management of water resources. The infrastructural works in the favelas also provided improvement on the storm drainage system in the favelas, improving urban resilience of the communities. In addition, the Favela-Bairro provided communities with open green areas and planted more than 35,000 trees across the settlements of the programme.

The focus of the regeneration programme was fostering social equity, inclusiveness and access to basic services for residents of distressed neighborhoods. Firstly, the initiative focused on legalizing the land tenure of the illegal settlements, helping residents to obtain a formal residency in the neighborhood. To do so, when illegal settlements were built on public land, the Municipality of Rio de Janerio issued the rights to utilize the plot to the occupants. When the illegal settlements is built on private land, the Municipality helped occupants by supporting them in making a legal claim to possession, or by expropriating the private land and issue the rights to utilize the plot to the occupants. The land tenure legalization provided formal homeownership to many informal households spread through the favelas. Another major improvement brought by the programme is the provision of public services to the population of the favelas which reduced several poverty-related risks such as the access to potable water and to electricity. The intervention programme increased the access to potable water for the resident population, increasing the percentage of households with access to potable water from 59.9 in 1991 to 90.2 in 2000. In addition, the initiative increased sanitation in the neighborhoods, improving the well-being of residents in the favelas. In 2000, 85.7% of the households were provided with adequate sewage connection and facilities, compared to 43.9% in 1991. The higher sanitation level provided by the established garbage removal service improved living standards and health conditions in the favelas. Many surveys conducted show that most of the favelas’ residents reported a higher quality of life in the communities targeted by the programme. The Favela-Bairro provided several educational programmes to the population to increase awareness of sanitation, public health and environmental issues. Similarly, the community buildings established in the neighborhoods organized educational activities, professional training and projects to provide useful skills and employ local residents. The neighborhood associations created during the initiative also improved social inclusiveness among communities by communicating with residents and actively engaging them on the different project phases. In addition, the residents participated directly in the planning phases by selecting the public services needed and the location of physical infrastructure. Lastly, the programme improved the postal service supplying the favelas. In total, the Favela-Bairro programme provided important urban services and functions for the distressed neighborhoods. The project constructed 97 day-care centers, 30 public IT buildings, 503,000 sqm of leisure and recreational areas and 106 sport courts for the local communities. As part of the infrastructural works envisioned, the programme improved the mobility inside the favelas. The renovation improved street networks and road connections, public lighting to promote visibility and safety, and created walkways and squares to improve walking within the neighborhoods. Besides public services and infrastructural works, the programme provided residents with educational activities and training programmes to develop education and working skills through community and training centers. Despite the positive socio-economic impacts assessed, several construction and infrastructural works throughout the communities were abandoned due to the bankruptcy of different construction companies appointed. Thus, many infrastructural works have been left undone for long creating distress to the communities involved.

There are no certifications related to the renovation programme.

The favela revitalization project has been entirely funded by the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro and by the Inter-American Development Bank.

During the first phase of the regeneration, the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro provided a total amount of direct transfers of USD 180 million. Considering both phases, the Municipality provided public resources and grants for a total of around USD 300 million. The Inter-American Development Bank invested USD 180 million during the first phase by conceding loans to the Municipality in 1995. The development bank provided another USD 180 million in loans during the second phase of the project.

Image from NakNakNak, retrieved here. Used under Content License.